Method for split-ledger inventory and activity tracking

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, storing, in the memory a passed ledger, where the passed ledger includes data associated with characteristics of an object and wherein there is a one-to-one association between the passed ledger and the object. Some embodiments further include receiving, at a device including the processing system, information about a change to a characteristic of the object and writing to the passed ledger a block of data. The block of data is based on the change to the characteristic of the object. Some embodiments further include generating a hash of contents of the passed ledger, storing the hash of the contents of the passed ledger in a hash ledger and communicating, by the device, the hash of the contents of the passed ledger to a remote device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 implementing, by the processing system, an augmented reality system, wherein the augmented reality system is accessible by participants using a plurality of user devices; 
 storing, in the memory, a passed ledger, the passed ledger comprising data associated with characteristics of a virtual object in the augmented reality system; 
 receiving, at the processing system, information about a change to a characteristic of the virtual object; 
 writing, to the passed ledger, a block of data, wherein the block of data is based on the change to the characteristic of the virtual object; 
 generating, responsive to the writing, a hash of contents of the passed ledger; 
 storing, in the memory, the hash of the contents of the passed ledger in a hash ledger; and 
 communicating the hash of the contents of the passed ledger to a remote device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving information about a change in possession of the virtual object; and   writing, to the passed ledger, a new block of data, wherein the new block of data records the change in possession of the virtual object,   wherein the communicating the hash of the contents of the passed ledger is responsive to the change in possession of the virtual object.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the storing the passed ledger comprises:
 storing, in the memory, information about one or more characteristics of the virtual object;   storing, in the memory, information about a location of the virtual object; and   storing, in the memory, information about possession of the virtual object, wherein possession of the virtual object comprises an association with a selected user device of the plurality of user devices.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the communicating the hash of the contents of the passed ledger comprises communicating the hash of the contents of the passed ledger to each user device of the plurality of user devices. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, from a user device of the plurality of user devices, a request to use the virtual object;   writing, to the passed ledger, a new block of data, the new block of data comprising information about the user device and information permitting the processing system to update status of the virtual object;   generating a new hash of the contents of the passed ledger including the new block of data; and   communicating the new hash of the contents of the passed ledger to each user device of the plurality of user devices.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 imposing a hash lock so that only a participant in the augmented reality system having possession of the virtual object may access the passed ledger, to thereby maintain privacy and security of the contents of the passed ledger.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing read-only access to the contents of the passed ledger for some or all participants in the augmented reality system.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 creating, by the augmented reality system, a first augmented reality environment and a second augmented reality environment, wherein the second augmented reality environment is independent of the first augmented reality environment; and   sharing the virtual object, including the passed ledger associated with the virtual object, between the first augmented reality environment and the second augmented reality environment, wherein the sharing comprises maintaining permanence of the virtual object among the first augmented reality environment and the second augmented reality environment.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 transferring history of the virtual object from the first augmented reality environment to the second augmented reality environment.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 tracking, by the processing system, location of one or more real-word object in the augmented reality system.   
     
     
         11 . A machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor of a server system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 establishing an augmented reality environment in the server system, wherein the server system is accessible by a plurality of remote devices of participants in the augmented reality environment;   creating a virtual object in the augmented reality environment, wherein the creating the virtual object comprises assigning to the virtual object a plurality of characteristics, a location and ownership;   creating for the virtual object a passed ledger, wherein the passed ledger is configured to store data associated with the characteristics, the location and the ownership of the virtual object;   receiving, by the server system, an indication of a modification to one of a characteristic, the location and the ownership of the virtual object;   writing, by the server system to the passed ledger, a block of data, wherein the block of data is based on a change to the characteristic, the location or the ownership of the virtual object; and   communicating, by the server system, a hash of contents of the passed ledger to remote devices of the plurality of remote devices to inform the remote devices about the change to the characteristic, the location or the ownership without communicating the passed ledger.   
     
     
         12 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 creating, within the augmented reality environment, a first virtual environment and a second virtual environment;   receiving an indication of a movement of the location of the virtual object from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment;   writing, to the passed ledger, a new block of data, the new block of data comprising information about the movement of the location of the virtual object from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment;   subsequently, receiving an indication of a further modification to one of a characteristic, the location and the ownership of the virtual object in the second virtual environment; and   writing, to the passed ledger, a further block of data, wherein the further block of data is based on the further modification to the characteristic, the location or the ownership of the virtual object in the second virtual environment.   
     
     
         13 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 creating, within the augmented reality environment, a first virtual environment on a first gaming platform;   creating, within the augmented reality environment, a second virtual environment on a second gaming platform; and   writing, to the passed ledger, a new block of data, the new block of data comprising information about movement of the location of the virtual object from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment.   
     
     
         14 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving an indication of a change in possession of the virtual object;   writing, to the passed ledger, a new block of data, wherein the new block of data comprises information about the change in possession of the virtual object;   generating a hash of contents of the passed ledger; and   communicating the hash of the contents of the passed ledger to other devices of the plurality of remote devices of participants in the augmented reality environment.   
     
     
         15 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 establishing a hash lock on the passed ledger, the hash lock enabling only a participant in the augmented reality environment having possession of the virtual object to access the passed ledger, to thereby maintain privacy and security of the contents of the passed ledger.   
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing read-only access to the contents of the passed ledger for selected participants in the augmented reality environment.   
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 establishing, by a processing system including a processor and a memory, an augmented reality environment, wherein the processing system is accessible over a communication network by a plurality of remote devices of participants in the augmented reality environment;   creating, by the processing system, a virtual object in the augmented reality environment, wherein the creating the virtual object comprises assigning to the virtual object a plurality of characteristics;   storing, by the processing system, data in a passed ledger in the memory forming stored data, wherein the stored data is associated with at least one characteristic of the plurality of characteristics of the virtual object;   receiving, by the processing system, a communication over the communication network from a remote device of the plurality of remote devices, the communication including information about a modification to the at least one characteristic the virtual object;   writing, by the processing system to the passed ledger, a block of data, wherein the block of data is based on the modification to the at least one characteristic of the virtual object;   generating, by the processing system, a hash of contents of the passed ledger; and   communicating, by the processing system, the hash of the contents of the passed ledger to the plurality of remote devices to inform the plurality of remote devices about the modification to the at least one characteristic without communicating the passed ledger.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 creating, by the processing system, within the augmented reality environment, a first virtual environment and a second virtual environment;   receiving, by the processing system, an indication of a movement of a location of the virtual object from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment; and   writing, by the processing system, to the passed ledger, a new block of data, wherein the writing the new block of data comprises writing information to the passed ledger about the movement of the location of the virtual object from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein creating the first virtual environment and the second virtual environment comprises:
 creating, by the processing system, the first virtual environment on a first gaming platform; and   creating, by the processing system, the second virtual environment on a second gaming platform, wherein the first gaming platform and the second gaming platform are independent gaming platforms.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 limiting, by the processing system, write access to the passed ledger to only a participant in the augmented reality environment who has possession of the virtual object.